Did you know that there are actually people who have paid for a flight to the moon? In the future, there will be a lot more opportunities to travel to faraway places than now… perhaps even as far as the moon. As people adventure further and further away and as planes, trains, cars, and rocket ships become faster, is it safer to have these vehicles controlled by humans or by computers?
While many flights by plane are controlled automatically by machines, most people today wouldn’t let their car drive itself. That’s because currently the autopilot function on your car can only keep it on the same course you are travelling on. It won’t turn the car right or left. It won’t stop if an animal jumps in the way. However, cars today can sense when something is too close and warn the driver with flashing lights and alarms. Many cars also have GPS（global positioning systems） that tell drivers which road to take and when to turn. These systems, unlike human drivers, never get lost. In the future, it is easy to believe that your car will be better able to drive itself with the aid of computers that can determine the position of your car and the speed it should travel at.
In addition to computers being ‘smarter’ than people regarding the best way to go or knowing how close another vehicle is, computers don’t get sick, tired, or angry. This means they won’t make the same mistakes that people make when they are not having a good day. While responding with emotion is a good thing when choosing the best way to deal with a friend’s personal problem, it may not be such a good thing when deciding what to do at the wheel of a fast-moving vehicle.
So what are the disadvantages of autopilot systems? Maybe one disadvantage is that a small computer problem could cause a serious accident. It could also be argued that in unexpected situations, computers might not be able to respond appropriately; some decisions require human emotions. Another problem might be that if everything were controlled by computers or robots, people wouldn’t have any jobs.
小题1:What is the best title for the passage?
A．The Development of Autopilot
B．Technology of Future Travel
C．A New Driving System
D．Computerized Cars小题2:Which of the following is the disadvantage of an autopilot system?
A． It won’t make the same mistakes as people do.
B． It can point out the best route for the driver.
C． It might not respond properly to unexpected situations.
D．It does not have human emotions to influence its function.小题3:If some falling rocks roll down toward your car, the autopilot on your car will_______.
A．inform you of the danger
B．turn the car right or left
C．do nothing about it
D．stop the car小题4:What’s the author’s attitude towards the autopilot?
A．Approving.
B．Objective.
C．Negative.
D．Doubtful.
